More Than 500 Global VCs To Attend The Dubai Chamber For Digital Economy's Expand Summit In January 2022 The Expand Summit by the Dubai Chamber For Digital Economy to help MENA startups to find trusted and reputed sources of funding.

Dubai Chamber For Digital Economy, the newly formed entity under the revamped Dubai Chambers, has announced that it will be hosting a summit for venture capital firms in January 2022 in a bid to support startups that are in need of financing.

Titled Expand Summit, the two-day event will be held during Expo 2020 Dubai and is expected to witness the participation of at least 500 VCs and close to 1,000 tech startups from around the MENA region.

Organized in coordination with Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai Future Foundation, and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the program will aim to help regional startups and entrepreneurs scale up their businesses by creating connections with venture capitalists and other stakeholders in Dubai's digital economy ecosystem. It will also allow entrepreneurs to find trusted and reputed sources of capital funding.

In what is said to be a first-of-its-kind event, the summit will be providing startups with access to investor networking events, demo-days, seminars, as well as roundtable discussions on relevant business topics, including impact investing and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESGs). In an attempt to fast-track the setting up of businesses and startups, the summit will also feature an accelerator unit that will be accessible to VCs and entrepreneurs alike.

H.E Omar Sultan Al Olama, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. Source: Dubai Chambers.

The announcement of the Expand Summit comes on the backend of the recent launch of Dubai Chamber For Digital Economy, a separate entity that falls under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers. With the digital economy making up about 4.3% of the UAE's GDP (which amounts to AED100 billion), the new entity has been built with an aim to transform Dubai into a global digital economy hub, and is thus responsible for creating an environment that attracts international stakeholders in order to foster innovation, knowledge, and digital transformation in the Emirate's digital economy.

"The Summit will serve as a catalyst to help the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy to achieve its goal of accelerating the growth of Dubai's digital economy and doubling the number of digital companies operating in the emirate in the coming years," said H.E Omar Sultan Al Olama, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. "This Summit will be an ideal platform to engage startups and investors in a dialogue which will be beneficial for the growth of Dubai's digital economy."